A 2-year self-help manual smoking cessation intervention was conducted among a panel of middle-aged Finnish men (n = 265) who were recruited proactively in a longitudinal cardiovascular risk factor surveillance study.
Intervention utilized the stages of change concept of the transtheoretical model. The stages were assessed in the treatment condition at baseline of the cessation study and after that by mail every sixth month. Assessments were followed by an immediate mailing of a stage-based self-help manual matching the stage of change at that time. A usual care group was assessed annually but received no treatment.
To investigate attrition of subjects in a longitudinal study of caries.
A radiographic study of caries and caries-associated factors was carried out in subjects, initially aged 14 years, and followed-up for six years. Attrition of subjects occurred at the last stage of the study.
A nationwide survey of subjects living in fishing, rural farming, and urban communities in Iceland.
A sub-sample of the nationwide random sample comprising 150 subjects was investigated using bitewing radiographs and a structured questionnaire to determine caries-risk factors. Subjects were re-examined at 16 years and 20 years using the same methods.
Mean caries increment from 14-16 years was 3.0 lesions (1.5 lesions/subject/year) but reduced to 2.6 lesions (0.7 lesions/subject/ year) by 20y. The proportion of subjects found to be caries-free at 14 years, 16 years and 20 years, was 29%, 17% and 10%, respectively. "Dropouts" from this study occurred mostly after 16 years. Analysis of subjects dropping out showed that they were least likely to be from the rural farming community but most likely from the fishing community. Those dropping out attended their dentist less frequently, had a higher consumption of carbonated drinks and a higher prevalence and incidence of caries by 16 years.
Subjects with high-risk behaviours, or residents in a fishing community were more likely to drop out of the study. Recognised advantages of conducting longitudinal studies of caries may, therefore, be lost.
Among inner-city populations in Canada, the use of crack cocaine by inhalation is prevalent. Crack smoking is associated with acute respiratory symptoms and complications, but less is known about chronic respiratory problems related to crack smoking. There is also a gap in the literature addressing the management of respiratory disease in primary health care among people who smoke crack. The purpose of our study was to assess the prevalence of acute and chronic respiratory symptoms among patients who smoke crack and access primary care. We conducted a pilot study among 20 patients who currently smoke crack (used within the past 30 days) and who access the "drop-in clinic" at an inner-city primary health care center. Participants completed a 20- to 30-min interviewer-administered survey and provided consent for a chart review. We collected information on respiratory-related symptoms, diagnoses, tests, medications, and specialist visits. Data were analyzed using frequency tabulations in SPSS (version 19.0). In the survey, 95 % (19/20) of the participants reported having at least one respiratory symptom in the past week. Thirteen (13/19, 68.4 %) reported these symptoms as bothersome. Chart review indicated that 12/20 (60 %) had a diagnosis of either asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and four participants (4/20, 20 %) had a diagnosis of both asthma and COPD. Majority of the participants had been prescribed an inhaled medication (survey 16/20, 80 %; chart 12/20, 60 %). We found that 100 % (20/20) of the participants currently smoked tobacco, and 16/20 (80 %) had smoked both tobacco and marijuana prior to smoking crack. Our study suggests that respiratory symptoms and diagnoses of asthma and COPD are prevalent among a group of patients attending an inner-city clinic in Toronto and who also smoke crack. The high prevalence of smoking tobacco and marijuana among our participants is a major confounder for attributing respiratory symptoms to crack smoking alone. This novel pilot study can inform future research evaluating the primary health care management of respiratory disease among crack smokers, with the aim of improving health and health care delivery.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and is associated with adverse outcomes. However, the relationship between AKI after CABG and the long-term risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is unknown.
This study included 29 330 patients who underwent primary isolated CABG in Sweden between 2000 and 2008. AKI was classified according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) classification: stage 1, >0.3 mg/dL (>26 µmol/L) or 50% to 100% increase; stage 2, 100% to 200% increase; and stage 3, >200% increase from the preoperative to postoperative serum creatinine level. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals for ESRD in AKIN stage 1 and stage 2 to 3. Postoperative AKI occurred in 13% of patients. During a mean follow-up of 4.3±2.4 years, 123 patients (0.4%) developed ESRD, including 50 (1.6%) in AKIN stage 1, 29 (5.2%) in AKIN stage 2 to 3, and 44 (0.2%) without AKI after CABG. After multivariable adjustment, the hazard ratio for ESRD was 2.92 (95% confidence interval, 1.87-4.55) for AKIN stage 1 and 3.81 (95% confidence interval, 2.14-6.79) for AKIN stage 2 to 3.
This nationwide study of patients who underwent CABG found that a small increase in the postoperative serum creatinine level was associated with an almost 3-fold increase in the long-term risk of ESRD after adjustment for a number of confounders, including preoperative renal function.
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD 20892-7238, USA.
Treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma are associated with large relative risks of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but there are few estimates of the excess absolute risk (EAR), a useful measure of disease burden. One-year Hodgkin lymphoma survivors (N = 35,511) were identified within 14 population-based cancer registries in Nordic countries and North America from January 1, 1970, through December 31, 2001. We used Poisson regression analysis to model the EAR of AML, per 10,000 person-years. A total of 217 Hodgkin lymphoma survivors were diagnosed with AML (10.8 expected; unadjusted EAR = 6.2; 95% confidence interval = 5.4 to 7.1). Excess absolute risk for AML was highest during the first 10 years after Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis but remained elevated thereafter. In subsequent analyses, adjusted for time since Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis and presented for the 5-9 year interval, the EAR was statistically significantly (P or = 35 age groups, respectively), which may be associated with modifications in chemotherapy.
To examine the prevalence of acute stress disorder (ASD) after a myocardial infarction (MI) and the factors associated with its development.
Of 1344 MI patients admitted to three Canadian hospitals, 474 patients did not meet the inclusion criteria and 393 declined participation in the study; 477 patients consented to participate in the study. A structured interview and questionnaires were administered to patients 48 hours to 14 days post MI (mean +/- standard deviation = 4 +/- 2.73 days).
Four percent were classified as having ASD using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, ASD module. The presence of symptoms of depression (Beck Depression Inventory; odds ratio (OR) = 29.92) and the presence of perceived distress during the MI (measured using the question "How difficult/upsetting was the experience of your MI?"; OR = 3.42, R(2) = .35) were associated with the presence of symptoms of ASD on the Modified PTSD Symptom Scale. The intensity of the symptoms of depression was associated with the intensity of ASD symptoms (R = .65). The models for the detection and estimation of ASD symptoms were validated by applying the regression equations to 72 participants not included in the initial regressions. The results obtained in the validation sample did not differ from those obtained in the initial sample.
The symptoms of depression and the subjective distress during the MI could be used to improve the detection of ASD.
Plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels recently have been identified as an emerging risk factor for ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, whether plasma CRP levels predict an increased risk for future IHD beyond traditional risk factors has yet to be evaluated in a large prospective, population-based study.
The association between elevated plasma CRP levels and the risk for future IHD was investigated in the prospective, population-based cohort of 2037 IHD-free middle-aged men from the Quebec Cardiovascular Study. During a 5-year follow-up, 105 first IHD events were recorded. Baseline plasma CRP levels were measured using a highly sensitive assay.
High plasma CRP concentrations (equal to or above vs below the median level of 1.77 mg/L) were associated with a significant 1.8-fold increase in IHD risk (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-2.7). This association remained significant after adjustment for lipid risk factors but not when the simultaneous contribution of nonlipid traditional risk factors was taken into account. Multivariate analyses indicated that CRP level predicted short-term risk for IHD (events that occurred 2 years). Moreover, high plasma CRP levels predicted an increased risk for IHD, independent of any other confounder, in younger (55 years) individuals.
Plasma CRP levels may provide independent information on IHD risk only in younger middle-aged men and in the case of IHD events that may occur relatively soon after the baseline evaluation.
Alcohol policies around the world seek to delay the initiation of drinking. This is partly based on the influential idea that earlier initiation is likely to cause adult alcohol problems. This study synthesises robust evidence for this proposition.
Systematic review of prospective cohort studies in which adolescent measurement of age of first drink in general population studies was separated by at least 3 years from adult alcohol outcomes. EMBASE, Medline, PsychINFO and Social Policy and Practice were searched for eligible studies, alongside standard non-database data collection activities. Data were extracted on included study methods and findings. Risk of bias and confounding was assessed for individual studies and a narrative synthesis of findings was performed.
The main finding was the meagre evidence base available. Only five studies were eligible for inclusion in this review. The existence of effects of age of first drink on adult drinking and related problems were supported, but not at all strongly, in some included studies, and not in others. Rigorous control for confounding markedly attenuates or eliminates any observed effects.
There is no strong evidence that starting drinking earlier leads to adult alcohol problems and more research is needed to address this important question. Policy makers should, therefore, reconsider the justification for delaying initiation as a strategy to address levels of adult alcohol problems in the general population, while also addressing the serious acute harms produced by early drinking.
Notes
Cites: Am J Psychiatry. 2000 May;157(5):745-5010784467
Recent guidelines have acknowledged that thrombolysis decreases mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) independently of age. The purpose of this study was to determine the age-related rates of thrombolytic administration and in-hospital mortality and the variables related to the use of thrombolytic therapy for patients with AMI.
A prospective cohort analysis involved a registry of 44 acute care Quebec hospitals that enrolled 3741 patients with AMI between January 1995 and May 1996. The main outcomes of interest were crude and adjusted age-related in-hospital mortality rates and rates of use of thrombolytic therapy.
In-hospital mortality rates increased dramatically with age from 2.1% in patients with AMI who were less than 55 years of age to 26.3% in those who were 85 years of age or older. Overall, 35.8% of the patients received thrombolysis. There was a pronounced inverse gradient in the use of thrombolysis with age, ranging from 46.2% in the youngest age group ( or = 85 years). After adjustment for potential confounders, the older patients remained significantly less likely to receive thrombolytic therapy. Compared with patients who were less than 55 years of age, the odds ratio of receiving thrombolytic therapy was 0.68 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52-0.89) for patients aged 65-74 years, 0.48 (95% CI 0.35-0.65) for patients aged 75-84 years and 0.13 (95% CI 0.06-0.26) for patients aged 85 years or more. Other variables related to thrombolytic therapy were diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 0.77, 95% CI 0.59-1.00), cerebrovascular disease (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.30-0.72), angina (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.56-0.95), typical chest pain (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.88-3.47); ST elevation (OR 8.93, 95% CI 7.24-11.00), Q wave MI (OR 5.26, 95% CI 4.20-6.60) and increased length of time between onset of symptoms and arrival at hospital.
Age is an important independent predictor of in-hospital mortality and lower thrombolytic use following AMI. Other studies are required to further evaluate the appropriateness of thrombolytic therapy for elderly patients.
Notes
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